Shipping-crate.



n PA mm EG Km -P m S APPLIOIATIOR FILED rnB.19,1soe.' I

-.Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

Witno'aou ms NORRIS PETERS co., wasnmoran. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATET CARL KEMPF, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND THOMAS SWOBODA, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SHIPPING- CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL Knirrr, of Wilwaukee, Visconsin, have invented a Shipping-Crate, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved form of opening or door to replace the common form of one or more slats nailed on, more particularly upon those crates which are used for shipping poultry and the like; and I aim to provide a door which shall be sufficiently cheap to be applicable to such crates generally without materially increasing the cost thereof.

My invention comprises the constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

I have illustrated in the annexed drawings a form of crate embodying the various novel features of my invention, and herein,

Figure 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a longitudinal median section and Fig. 3 a transverse median section of the crate as a whole; Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the door on an enlarged scale to show the locking device; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the door showing a modified form of locking device; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the door separately.

In these drawings every reference letter and numeral refers always to the same part.

The form of crate shown here is a fixed crate, although the door is equally applicable to a knockdown crate. This form of door is very desirable both for its cheapness and also by reason of the fact that poultry can be more easily transferred from one crate to another or removed from a number of crates which are piled one over the other by simply pulling the crate to which access is desired, a little way out from the pile. The crate, as shown, comprises a bottomboard 121; four corner-posts 122; posts 123 at the center of the sides; a pair of posts 124 at each end and at the sides of the sliding-door; a pair of transverse end-bars 125 connecting the corner-posts 122; a trans verse central bar 126 connecting the posts 123; and a transverse bottom strip 127 connecting the bars 123 at the bottom and forming abutments therefor; the whole being covered by side-slats 128, end-slats 129 and top-slats 130. The top-slats 130 are so placed as to leave a central opening extending the entire length of the box, in which slides the door F, this door consisting, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, of two or more longitudinal slats 131 which fill the opening from side to side, and are guided by the slats 130 adjacent thereto, and a pair of transverse cleats 132 which are each set midway between the center and ends of the box. The door is further provided with a fastening or locking-device, consisting of a staple-shaped bail 133 pivoted in a metal strip 131 which is secured to one of the rails or slats 131 by one or more screws 135. The cleats 132 are slightly longer than the width of the door opening and engage under the slats 130 adjacent thereto as indicated in Fig. 3, and by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and they not only serve to hold the door against being lifted vertically out of its opening, but also from being slid out endwise, the said cleats abutting respectively against the central bar 126 and one of the end bars 125 when at the outer limit of its movement. The fastener 133 engages on each side of the central bar 126 and holds the door central, and said fastener is raised by rotating the same. This door may of course be made as wide as desirable by increasing the number of longitudinal slats 131. A modified form of fastener for this door is shown in Fig. 5 and consists of a bail 133 which is not pivoted but is secured to the edge of one of the rails 131 by staples or screw-eyes 136, the ends 137 of the bail being bent at right angles to prevent it from coming out. t will be seen that this engages on each side of the bar 126 until raised into the dotted-line position, Fig. 5.

I do not consider my invention limited to the embodiment of all the above features, as some may be omitted or altered, and vari ous modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and will readily occur to those versed in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Let ters Patent, is

In combination with a shipping-box or crate having an opening in one side thereof extending entirely across the same, a door mounted to slide endwise in said opening and having an opening in the center thereof; a strap of sheet metal looped to form an eye, and secured to said door with said eye overhanging the edge of said central opening, a staple-shaped bail having its central l bail engage on opposite sides of said trans it member journaled in said eye and the legs verse member and prevent the door from thereoi normally depending by the action openlng.

of gravity through said opening and beyond In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my the same, and a member secured to the open hand this seventeenth day of February, 1906. side of said box on the under side thereof CARL KEBiPF. and extending transversely across the cen- In presence of tral opening in said door When the latter is EUGENE BAUR,

in closed position, whereby the legs of the GEORGE W. CoLLEs. 

